Boiler cleaner



se p 9, 1930;

N. L. SNOW BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1923 A u I II u IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

N. L. SNOW BOILER CLEANER Sept. 9, 1930.

s sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1923 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

I Sept. 9 1930. s w 1,775,303

QILER CLEANER Filed "March 19, 192:5 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 OQQUCDQQ Q K Q 033 @XD 4 Q 1 ATTORNEY.

inserted 3mg c mprisin the'parts; (Stand Patented Sept. 9, 1930 T S A TQFFICE NORMANL3 snewgom DETROITQMICHIGAN, ASSIGNORTOpIAMoNflrbwEitsPEcmLTY CORPOBAQION, ohpnmnonr, ICHIG convonlmrpn ormcnnmn i t p ummnmed M rches, 192 3. Seri ai 1wo. 2s, 135,

This invention relates to hdiler cleaheps and particularly; rjelates toboiler "cleaners in provement lip gn the c'onstriietion di selosedwiri556308Q= jf flint I. Raweon and said inveir tion consists inthestiiueturgtl' features and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedarid illustrated in the acc m in ings, wherein a Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectionalview showing; the improvedfbl'ower inits appliewtipn togai tubular bOilerf-th ScetchMarine Figure 2 is assdmevflitttsiihilattiew of the mining the several'rotativelyfspaced LpegitionsI of Use of said handle;

' Figilre jisa transverse section of same ure :4 but tshoyving anothermeans lfqh deterlm ningfthe selective positions fqf u eitheblower. H t rIn these views, the reference character 1 designates thefijxie tubes bfa SCQtchMfifine b iIEr cOmmunicati gLat their ends "rjespecrtivelyfwithfthelcoxfibustiofi chamber smoke box 3,'the1atter hayingthejus ualdobi' i n d, agr &1 The h n: c ed hlower isdisposed Withinafire tube l 'which "occupies preferably a: substantially central V positio n witlifrespect"to ther'emaining tubes.

Said blower. Comprises apipe5 adapted r freely Within theffront portionf s stidttt lbe 1*, 111 th me? end of s aid pipethere is fixedly by afitting-17. through which a steam s upply co'nnectiqn isestg'tblishedlfrom a-p'ipe 8. Q is a rod Wh1h-pasiseefree1y through the:fitting ningjthe tw tqgether, as indicated at izind is rigidlyebtihectedjtozthe tube 10. v vithe l 111 the pipe 5,prefeliibly;,fhyeiiiseitingsaid f yod'a shortclistancewithinthe tube and pinl red 91, andwhich? withiiifsaid pipe carries "a slide bearing eomprising the niehlberIIand 11? insertedfin saidsleeve and-.pa ckirigjll}? compressedbetween fsaidihlembersl The tub e 10 extends within the fifelttlbelt tothe'rear in thelpipe 5 nd, between: the slid bear:

mittedfto the pipe 5ffrom th esupp ly pi e s, finds admission to thetlji'be 10ft0 be 'CQnduCt ed through thelzittento jtliedischargeiidizle12;

The space inter-Val between the slide bearings 155 63 ndflL 1: 1 1 isgprm t thejpoi't 14to estab'l'ishf communieation be; r

jtweeri the tilbe 10 andlp'ipebfiinf all positions,

of sliding adj 151 131115v df'said' t-uhe, To the front end ofth r0 1 9there is figidly seeu red as tleml5 fonmingl'imfprwardextensionpf"saidl'rodysaidjstem preferably having a lesser jdiamete rthanthe rddh9andhav ingt sereW- threadedengagement with said irod. ,To

rigidly-maintainthi engagement, ajlock ii mt 16 i ithef t i e firm flyagziihs'ttheextrerhity of the red: The forfward e itllof the stem 15isgscreyv-threaded as. I

.ilidibsttedfat. 1 5? for engagement with a plug 18, which plug is nmounted ingan elongated tubular-handle member; 17 ilighedwith seid stem.*Adjacehtlits tljnfeamded end 15* there is pesition dfthe stem hdvfvninFigfire is ion V jul received in a slide bearing 20 integrally formedupon a spherical housing 21 secured to the door 4. The internal diameterof the bearing 20 is such that the handle member 17 may slide freelythrough said bearing. Said handle member is formed with a plurality oflongitudinal grooves 22, all extending from the rear end of said handlemember and varying in length in a predetermined relation and the handle17 and plug 18 are both spaced sufliciently from the bearing 20 andcollar 19 to form a circumferential groove 20'. Said grooves arecircumferentially equi-distant, this being best seen in Figure 3. Ascrew 23 is radially mounted in the bearing 20, said screw having uponits inner end a pin 24: which projects within said bearing for selectiveengagement with the grooves 22 when the handle 17 is slidingly advancedthrough said hearing. The pin may be selectively placed in any one ofthe grooves by circumferential travel in the groove 20. Thus said pin,inconjunction with the grooves 22, determines a plurality of rotativelyvarying positions in which the handle 17 may be rectilinearlyadvancedthrough the bearing 20 anddetermines corresponding positions ofrectilinear advancement for the nozzle 12. An opening25 in the door 4permits advancing of the collar 19 and handle member 17 through saiddoor andthe sleeve 10" accommodates the lock nut,16 duringreciprocationof the nozzle and its actuating parts.

When the described blower is not in use the handlev member 17 may beremoved. Accidental shifting'ofthe reciprocating parts, when the'bloweris in stored position, is prevented by engagement of alatch pin26in a socket 27 of the collar 19, said ,pin'being urged into engagementwith said collar by a supporting leaf spring 29. A cam lever 30 attachedto said springfis encountered by the handle 17 as the same is screwedupon the stem 15'and thus prov-ides for automatic dis} engagement-of thepin 26 from the socket 27.

As will be evident from Figure 8, the circumferential spacing of thegrooves 22 of the handle member is such that the corresponding impactlines upon the rear flue sheet 31 for thejets from the nozzle 12 willvbe most eifective,wsaidlines being indicated by the reference character31. It is preferred to establisha slight angle betweenthe radial planesof discharg'e'of the two outlets of the nozzle 12, as is best indicatedin Figure 3, the surface of the flue sheet being more effectivelycovered by the jets through this rela tion.

, Thus, as is shownin. Figure ,3, for the twelve rotative positions ofadjustment of the handle, there are twelve lines of impact upon the rear'fiue sheet for one of the jets from the nozzle, as indicated by A, B,C, etc. and twelve corresponding linesof impact for the other jet, asindicated at A, Bf, C, etc,

the lines of impact for one of the jets falling substantially midwaybetween those for the other.

In the use of the described blower, the operator engages any one of thegrooves 22 with the pin 24 and then advances the handle member 17 andthereby the nozzle 12 so far as the length of the engaged groove willpermit. The nozzle is so positioned circumferentially with respect tothe various grooves that the extent of longitudinal travel afforded thenozzle in each of the selected rotative positions of the handle permitsthe corresponding line of impact of the jets to extend to the outermargin of the rear flue sheet. After completing each blowing advancementof the nozzle, the operator retracts the handle and nozzle to align thepin 24 with the groove 20, in which position the handle is rotativelyactuable to engage the next adjacent groove 22 with the pin 24. Thehandle and nozzle are then again advanced so far as the length of theengaged groove will permit. This is continued until a blowingadvancement of the nozzle has been effected in each of the selectiverotative positions thereof. The nozzlewill then have applied jets to therear flue sheet along each of the impact lines indicated at 31 in Figure3. These impact lines are so selected that a thorough discharge of thecleaning fluid through all of the fire tubes will be produced by thesuccessive impacts of jets along said lines. 1

In that form of the invention disclosed in Figures at and 4, theselective rotatively varying distances of the nozzles are adapted to beestablished by theuse of an elongated handle member 34; of octagonalcross section, an opening 35 of corresponding shape being formed in aguide pl.ate,36 which is secured to the door 4: In this form of theinvention, the engagement of thehandle member with the stationary guidemember carried by the door restrains the handle member and consequentlythe nozzle from rotation in any except a fully retracted position of thehandle member in which position the handle member 34 is moved out ofengagement with the opening 85. In this .case there is no provision forvarying the extent of reciprocation and the circumferential advance ofthe nozzle from one to another of its positions of use is a constant. p

In the construction shown in Figure 5, the reciprocating handle member37 is of hexagonalcross section and is engageable with an opening 38 ina. guide plate 39, the margin of which is formed with twelveequi-distant angular depressions for engagement by the angles of themember 37. Thus, there are established twelve selective positions of usefor the corresponding nozzle. Obviously, the number of selectivepositions of use can be predetermined. to. suit any requirements bygiving the actuating bar and the correspondl ater ing opening in thestationary guide member the proper polygonal form. The term rotative asemployed in this specification and j in the appended claims isconsidered to designate the capacity for turning through either afractional or entire revolution or aplurality of revolutions. V

VVhat I claim as my invention is z i 1. In combination with a boilerhaving a tube sheet and aplurality oftubes, ofa nozzle normally lyingwithin one of said tubes, said is nozzle having a discharge port adaptedwhen the nozzle is projected from said tube to discharge cleaning fluidtoward said tube sheet and being reciprocatory in the direction of thetubes to effect a projection of said nozzle from said tube, said nozzlealsobeing adapt 2. The combination with a boiler having a" plurality ofspaced fire tubes, of a cleaner element, said element having a'rearwardly dis charging nozzle and beingdisposed in one of said tubesand movable axially thereof, means for reciprocating said element, meanspermit ting rotation of said element when it is ina predeterminedposition with relation to its enclosing tube, means'for limiting thereciprocation of the element to a predetermined seriesof angularpositions with respect to said tube, and means for preventing rotationof the, cleaner during reciprocation, said. nozzle being arranged toclean a glven group of tubes corresponding to its angular posij mg tube.

tion, each timeit is projected from its enclosa The combination with aboiler havi ga plurality of spaced fire tubes,o-f a cleaner ele ment, isaid element having a rearwardly dispermitting rotation of saidelementwhen it is in a predetermined position with relation to its enclosingtube, means for limiting the "reciprocation of the element to j a jpredetermined series of angular positionswith respect tosaid tube, meansfor preventing rotation of the cleaner during reciprocatiom and meanstorlvarying the reciprocatory stroke of the l element in accordance withthe remoteness of I the tubes, said nozzle being arrangedtoclean agivengroup of tubescorresponding to its angular position each time fromits enclosing tube.

cleaner including acleaner element normal 1y. housed Within thesaidtube, said "elemerit having a discharge nozzle adapted when nozzleduring reciprocation thereof.

it is projected 4. The combination with. a boiler having a tube, of acleaner for the said boiler, the said the elementis projected beyontlthe said tube to direct cleaning fluid toward the' surfaces to becleaned,means-fonrotating said 'e'lem'ent through predeterminedincrements wanm the said nozzle diflerent surfaces to be c'lea'ne dand"for ldngitudinally moving the element to causethe same to projectbeyond the said' tube, and niieans for preventing rotation of saidelement when the same is in its projected position. 7

5. The combination with a a plurality of tubes, of a nozzle adapted todischarge a jet of fluid for cleaning a plural-- boiler having ity ofsaid tubes, means for reciprocating said i nozzle in aplurality ofpredetermined posi tions to direct the jetto effect cleaning of a groupof said tubes on either side ofsaid nozzle in each ofsaid positions,means for rotating. the nozzle to move the same from one to another ofsaidpredetermined posi- Of the tions and means preventing rotation 6.The combination with a boiler havinga plurality of tubes, of a rotativeand reciprocatory nozzle adapted to discharge a jet of i fluid forcleaning the tubes lying in successive.

radial zones,means for reciprocating said nozzle to direct thejettoclean'the tubes of one ofsaid zones, means for rotating the nozzleto advance same to apositionto clean another of said zones and means forpreventing rotation of the nozzle during reciprocation thereof.

7. The combination a boiler having a tube, of a cleaner for thesaidboiler, the; said cleaner including a cleaner element nor mally housedwithin the said tube, means for rotating said element andforlongitudinalvariablylimiting't-he longitudinal movement of the elementdependent upon the rotative 'ly moving the element to cause the same toi 7 project beyondthe saidtube, and means for .105 a position ofsaidelement' with respect to said tube. i charging nozzle and beingdisposedin one of said tubes and movable axiallythereof, means forreciprocating said element, means 8. The method ofcleaning a pluralityof termined relation with respect toe achother 1m I tubeshaving theirends arranged in a "predel which consists in discharging a jet ofcleaning fluid atan angle toward the said-tube ends, varying thedistance of the source of said jet fromthe said tube ends to fcause thejet to successively clean a predeterminedseries of said tubes andlimiting the travel of said jet from said tubeends in dependence upon vi the lengthof the seriesof tubes being cleaned.

120", 9. The method of cleaning a-plurality of it tubes having theirends arranged in asingle plane and inlines extending radially from asourcefo f cleaning fluid which consists in discharging a jet ofcleaning fluid at an'angle from thesource toward the plane of the tubeends,jvarying the distanceofthe saidsource from the plane of the tubeends while preventing rotation ofthe' jet to causethe jetto clean all ofthe tubes in one of the radial lines and subsequently rotating thejetand again varying its distance from the plane of the tube ends tocause the jet to clean the tubes in another radial line.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NORMAN L. SNOW.

